1 Chronicles 15:2

KJV1611 – Modern English

Then David said, None should carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

אָ֚ז אָמַ֣ר דָּוִ֔יד לֹ֤א לָשֵׂאת֙ אֶת־אֲר֣וֹן הֽ͏ָאֱלֹהִ֔ים כִּ֖י אִם־הַלְוִיִּ֑ם כִּי־בָ֣ם ׀ בָּחַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה לָשֵׂ֞את אֶת־אֲר֧וֹן יְהוָ֛ה וּֽלְשָׁרְת֖וֹ עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃

Transliteration

ʾāz ʾāmar David not lāśeʾt ʾet-ʾărôn hā-ʾĕlōhîm kî ʾim-ha-ləwiyyim kî-vām bāḥar Yahweh lāśeʾt ʾet-ʾărôn Yahweh û-lĕšārtô ʿad-ʿôlām

Grammar Details

• *ʾāz*: adverb - then
• *ʾāmar*: qal perfect 3rd masculine singular - said
• *David*: proper name
• *lāśeʾt*: preposition + qal infinitive construct - to carry
• *ʾet*: direct object marker
• *ʾărôn*: masculine singular construct - ark
• *hā-ʾĕlōhîm*: definite article + masculine plural - the God
• *kî ʾim*: conjunction + conditional particle - except/but only
• *ha-ləwiyyim*: definite article + proper noun plural - the Levites
• *kî-vām*: conjunction + preposition with 3rd masculine plural suffix - for in them
• *bāḥar*: qal perfect 3rd masculine singular - chose
• *Yahweh*: divine name
• *û-lĕšārtô*: conjunction + preposition + piel infinitive construct with 3rd masculine singular suffix - and to serve him
• *ʿad-ʿôlām*: preposition + masculine singular noun - forever

Word Meanings

• *ʾāz*: then/at that time
• *ʾāmar*: said/spoke/declared
• *lāśeʾt*: to carry/bear/lift
• *ʾărôn*: ark/chest/box
• *ʾĕlōhîm*: God/gods/divine being
• *ləwiyyim*: Levites (tribal name)
• *bāḥar*: chose/selected/elected
• *lĕšārtô*: to serve him/minister to him/attend to him
• *ʿôlām*: forever/eternity/perpetuity

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  Then David said, "The ark of God must not be carried by anyone but the Levites, for the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before Him forever."

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  Then David{H1732} said,{H559} None ought to carry{H5375} the ark{H727} of God{H430} but the Levites:{H3881} for them hath Jehovah{H3068} chosen{H977} to carry{H5375} the ark{H727} of God,{H430} and to minister{H8334} unto him for{H5704} ever.{H5769}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  Then David{H1732} said{H559}{(H8804)}, None ought to carry{H5375}{(H8800)} the ark{H727} of God{H430} but the Levites{H3881}: for them hath the LORD{H3068} chosen{H977}{(H8804)} to carry{H5375}{(H8800)} the ark{H727} of God{H430}, and to minister{H8334}{(H8763)} unto him for{H5704} ever{H5769}.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  At that tyme sayde Dauid: The Arke of God is not to be borne, but onely of ye Leuites: for them hath the LORDE chosen to beare the Arke of the LORDE, and to mynister vnto him for euer.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Then Dauid saide, None ought to carie the Arke of God, but the Leuites: for the Lorde hath chosen them to beare the Arke of the Lord, and to minister vnto him for euer.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Then Dauid saide: The arke of God ought not to be carryed but of the Leuites: For them hath the Lord chosen to beare the arke of the Lorde, and to minister vnto him for euer.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them has Yahweh chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister to him forever.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  Then said David, `None `are' to carry the ark of God, except the Levites, for on them hath Jehovah fixed to carry the ark of God, and to serve Him -- unto the age.'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath Jehovah chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath Jehovah chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  Then David said, The ark of God may not be moved by any but the Levites, for they have been marked out by God to take the ark of God, and to do his work for ever.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Then David said, "No one ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites. For Yahweh has chosen them to carry the ark of God, and to minister to him forever."

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Then David said,“Only the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of the LORD and to serve before him perpetually.”

Referenced Verses

• Deut 10:8 : 8 At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister to him, and to bless in his name, to this day.
• Deut 31:9 : 9 And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it to the priests the sons of Levi, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.
• Josh 3:3 : 3 And they commanded the people, saying, When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, the Levites, carrying it, then you shall move from your place and follow it.
• Josh 6:6 : 6 And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said to them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests carry seven trumpets of ram's horns before the ark of the LORD.
• 2 Chr 35:3 : 3 And he said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy to the LORD, 'Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. It shall not be a burden on your shoulders. Serve now the LORD your God and His people Israel.'
• Isa 66:21 : 21 And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, says the LORD.
• Jer 33:17-22 : 17 For thus says the LORD: David shall never lack a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel; 18 Neither shall the priests, the Levites, lack a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle grain offerings, and to do sacrifice continually. 19 And the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, 20 Thus says the LORD: If you can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, so there should not be day and night in their season, 21 Then my covenant may also be broken with David my servant, so that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites, the priests, my ministers. 22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, nor the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the descendants of David my servant, and the Levites that minister to me.
• Num 4:2-9 : 2 Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by the house of their fathers, 3 From thirty years old and upward, even until fifty years old, all that enter the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation. 4 This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, regarding the most holy things: 5 And when the camp moves forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering veil, and cover the ark of testimony with it: 6 And shall put on it the covering of badgers' skins, and shall spread over it a cloth entirely of blue, and shall put in the poles. 7 And upon the table of showbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put on it the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers for covering, and the continual bread shall be on it: 8 And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put in the poles. 9 And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the lampstand of the light, and its lamps, and its tongs, and its trays, and all the oil vessels thereof, with which they serve it: 10 And they shall put it and all the vessels within a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put it upon a bar. 11 And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put in the poles. 12 And they shall take all the instruments of ministry, with which they serve in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put them on a bar. 13 And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth on it: 14 And they shall put upon it all the vessels with which they serve about it, even the censers, the forks, the shovels, and the basins, all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgers' skins, and put in the poles of it. 15 And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to move forward, after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to carry it; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.
• Num 4:19-20 : 19 But do this for them, that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint every one to his service and to his burden: 20 But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.
• Num 7:9 : 9 But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because the service of the sanctuary belonging to them was that they should carry it upon their shoulders.
• Num 8:13-14 : 13 And you shall set the Levites before Aaron and his sons and offer them as a wave offering to the LORD. 14 Thus shall you separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.
• Num 8:24-26 : 24 This is what regards the Levites: from twenty-five years old and above, they shall go in to perform the work in the tabernacle of meeting. 25 And at the age of fifty years, they shall cease performing this work and shall serve no more. 26 But they may minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of meeting, to attend to needs, but shall do no work. Thus shall you do to the Levites regarding their duties.
• Num 18:1-8 : 1 And the LORD said to Aaron, You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. 2 And your brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, bring with you, that they may be joined to you and minister to you: but you and your sons with you shall minister before the tabernacle of witness. 3 And they shall keep your charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come near the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor you also, die. 4 And they shall be joined to you, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come near you. 5 And you shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel. 6 And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel; to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. 7 Therefore you and your sons with you shall keep your priest's office for everything of the altar, and within the veil; and you shall serve: I have given your priest's office to you as a service of gift: and the stranger who comes near shall be put to death. 8 And the LORD spoke to Aaron, Behold, I also have given you the charge of my heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; to you have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to your sons, by an ordinance forever.